Some existing point-of-care computer systems include interfaces to patient monitors and treatment devices. Some such systems include display screens for rendering information about patients' symptoms, as well as information received from the patient monitors or information related to operation of the treatment devices. In some cases, the computer systems provide instructions to the treatment devices.
Some systems store patient care information, such as information from laboratories, pharmacies and radiology departments. In some instances, this information is stored within a computer that is designed to stay with a patient during the patient's entire stay in a hospital or other medical facility. In other instances, the information is stored in a central server, and the patient computer accesses the server via a wireless computer network.
Some point-of-care systems include keyboards, so caregivers can manually enter information about drugs that are to be administered to patients and information about equipment that is located in the patients' rooms. Some such systems include interfaces to bar code readers and/or radio frequency identification (RF-ID) readers. In these cases, caregivers may use the readers to manually scan barcodes or RF-ID tags on the drug containers or the equipment. One system includes wireless data receivers and means for detecting when a caregiver enters a room.
Existing patient identification systems relate items, such as patient monitors, with patients and ensure that identified items correspond to identified patients. In one such system, a caregiver manually uses a barcodes scanner that is attached to the system to scan barcodes on a patient's wristband, on the caregiver's identification badge and on an item that is to be administered to the patients. The system indicates whether the item matches the patient or there is a discrepancy between the item and the patient. The system also stores information about administered items for billing purposes.